


Cold Pizza

by sunriseshades



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Arguing, BAMF Hermione Granger, Black Hermione Granger, F/M, Family Drama, Older Man/Younger Woman, Stargazing, Swearing, kissing in the dark, mention of divorce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27773287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunriseshades/pseuds/sunriseshades
Summary: Hermione receives some bad news, and finds herself venting to Sirius, who is more than happy to offer a listening ear.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Hermione Granger
Kudos: 60





	Cold Pizza

Hermione regretted taking the underground almost the minute she descended the steps into the station, where the insufferable sticky heat clung to her skin like a fog, and dirty air made its way down her throat. Still, she’d had her reasons - one being that she hated apparating while on her period, as well as being determined to keep up to date with the endless refurbishments to the muggle railway lines. 

Her mind was still reeling with the conversation she’d had with her parents barely an hour before, and she wanted nothing more than the comfort of her own cosy flat over in Victoria. Unfortunately, due to the fact that she was having her bathroom refurbished, she had no choice but to return to Grimmauld Place, where she’d been staying for the last two nights. 

Needless to say, she was intensely agitated by the time she made it into the gothic walls of the Black House, and kicked off her shoes before marching into the living room. 

“Hermione darling, come join the fun” Sirius wooed from his reclined position on the sofa. Harry and Ron were also there, and between the three of them rested an abundance of empty beer bottles. 

“Really? It’s barely - well, seven in the evening” she rebuked, caught off guard since the hour was later than she’d imagined. Time felt that it was slipping away from her these days, as with everything else. 

“Go on, what are the weekends for,” Ron encouraged, and judging from the fact that his usually milk-white skin resembled that of a strawberry, Hermione judged that the boys had been drinking in the garden at some point. 

“A letter arrived for you earlier,” Harry informed, just as she dropped her bag on the table. 

“I’ll read it later," she sighed, exhaustion from the day’s events quickly catching up on her, “who’s it from ?” 

“Uhh, Judge Montague” he read 

“Shit! The jury decided already? Hand it over” Hermione ordered, and tore through the ornately designed envelope. 

For months, she’d been part of a highly controversial lawsuit representing a house elf who had been accused of murdering his master. The defendant's argument was that it was out of self defence, which, given the fact that the household had buried seven house elves in ten years was more than plausible. The entire process had required mountains of paperwork as well as many evenings spent after office hours, reviewing the incredibly shaky set of legislations that protected House Elves. 

Her eyes scanned the letter hungrily, and as realisation dawned Hermione felt her stomach sink painfully. 

“Guilty” she whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat. 

“I’m sorry Hermione,” Harry began, looking sincere, “I know how hard you worked on that case - but it was an achievement enough to get land in court any-” 

“Sooty is going to hang, Harry. I don’t consider that much of an achievement” she snapped angrily, “it just goes to show it was a stupid endeavour in the first place”. 

With that, she stormed from the living room and into the narrow kitchen. Her day may be falling to pieces, but she’d been envisioning eating her carefully prepared leftovers all day, but when she swung open the fridge door she was met with bitter disappointment. 

“Ronald!” she shouted. Every shelf in the fridge was completely empty excluding the mouldy cheese and a half eaten apple. This was the final straw. 

“Sorry!” Ron called out sheepishly, but Hermione was far from done. 

“Seriously? Is the five meals your mother cooks you not enough, so you feel the need to steal mine as well?” she barked, returning to the living room. She knew she sounded hysterical - but she didn’t care; fatigue and rage toiled through her in an unnerving battle. 

“I said I’m sorry, alright!” Ron defended, “We were thinking of ordering a takeaway anyway” 

“Forget it!” she flared, “I’m going to bed, or is there any other bad news you care to share with me? Did one of you shit in the bathroom sink or something?” she seethed incrediously. 

“I told you love, that was a one time thing”

Sirius only just dodged the purse that she sent flying his way, before Hermione promptly stormed out the room and slammed the door. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Long after the summer sun had set, sleep continued to evade Hermione. While she could plausibly blame part of it on the oppressive heat that stretched throughout the polluted city, she also knew that her mind had not stopped racing in hours. 

Even after showering in icy water and carefully applying the endless expensive creams that Fleur had gifted her last Christmas, Hermione found herself plagued by restlessness. With a resounding sigh, she kicked off the sheets and padded downstairs with her curly hair still damp and smelling faintly of coconut conditioner. 

She hadn’t expected anyone else to be awake, otherwise she would have chosen to wear more than a skimpy burgundy tank top and matching shorts; nonetheless, her eyes spotted the back of Sirius’s form as he sat on the stone steps leading to the back garden. 

As though he sensed her watching him, he turned and met her eyes. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked casually. 

“No” Hermione said simply, 

“I saved you some pizza - it’s on the side. I was just about to go up anyway” he explained, hoisting himself up. 

“Don’t!” she said before she could stop herself. Somehow seeing Sirius made the thought of being alone once more utterly unbearable. “I mean, will you keep me company?” She added. 

He flashed her a grin, illuminating his handsome features. “Thought you’d never ask” he responded. 

Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes and grabbed the sealed box of pizza before treading carefully over the doorframe.

Ever the gentleman, Sirius grabbed his leather jacket and laid it on the space next to him, and Hermione saw him glance fleetingly at her legs as she sat down before shifting to look straight ahead. Notably, this observation sent a jolt of happiness through her, which she suppressed instantly. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, with only the occasional sound of a car engine and the chirps of grasshoppers humming through the summer air. She hadn’t realised how hungry she was until she’d taken the first bite of pizza, which was refreshing in its coolness. 

When she reached the last slice, she nudged Sirius, who shook his head before indicating to the partially drunk bottle of firewhiskey by his feet. 

“Shit day, then?” he said, as she reached down and undid the cap of the bottle. 

“Something like that,” she sighed, taking the swig and instantly grimacing as it burned her throat. 

“Want to talk about it?” he asked, eyebrows raised. Not for the first time, Hermione felt herself being drawn into Sirius’s features; he had a distinctly tanned, rugged face with a layer of stubble set across an angular jaw, and his dark, wavy hair fell to shape the sharp lines of his cheekbones. 

“My parents are getting a divorce” she said, staring straight into his piercing grey eyes. 

“Well that’s… shit” he said bluntly, and she laughed, appreciating that he didn’t pretend to know what to say. “I’m sorry," he added in a more serious tone, and she faltered. 

“Me too,” she replied, taking another sip. There were a few moments of comfortable silence, during which she craned her neck to gaze up at the stars, and waited for the right words to find her. “I guess I just wasn’t expecting it, you know?” she confessed 

“How long have they been together?” Sirius asked gently, 

“Coming up to thirty years” 

Sirius let out a breath, and Hermione closed her eyes; memories of countless anniversary parties from her childhood swimming into her vision; meals out with her parents, family holidays, birthdays and weddings and family events that they always attended as a three. 

“They seemed happy - hardly ever argued. Whenever they did, my dad would send my mum flowers to her work, and a ticket to the latest science exhibition in town,” she sniffed. “And I mean...why now? I can’t help but worry that they waited until I was all grown up, so not to hurt my feelings” 

All at once, she felt Sirius’s arm wrap around her shoulders, and she instinctively leaned into him; breathing in the warm scent of tobacco and cologne. 

“It’s not your fault," he said firmly, and she felt the vibrations of his baritone voice emit from his chest. 

“You don’t have to patronise me Sirius, I’m not a child” she argued. 

“That’s pretty obvious,” he remarked, and she pinched him, “then you should trust your instinct. You said yourself that they seemed happy, so I’m sure that they were. Sometimes people just grow apart, and if they wanted to split up sooner they would have done - maybe they just wouldn’t have told you” 

“Jesus, is that supposed to make me feel better?” she asked, scrunching her nose at the thought of her parents keeping such a secret from her. 

“I’m really fucking this up, aren’t I?” he huffed, and she laughed at the hopelessness in voice. 

“No, you aren't," she said seriously, straightening up so to face him head on, “I appreciate it Sirius, honestly” 

“Don’t patronise me” he parroted in a high pitched, poor impression of her voice. 

“Oh give me a break,” Hermione laughed, she went to hit him lightly on the arm, but he raised his hand and coiled it around her wrist defensively. 

The heat of his touch sent a shock of electricity shooting through her spine, the pressure of the grip rooting her to the spot. 

Sirius’s eyes flitted downwards for half a second, before he caught himself and coughed. 

“Sorry” he said, releasing her. The sudden absence made her feel hollow, and with a flash of sudden bravery, she reached out her hand and touched his hand; her thumb brushing over the veins. 

“Don’t be,” she whispered, her eyes zoned in on his neck; the way his Adam's apple bobbed precariously, and how a tattoo crept its way up from his shoulders.

“Tell me what you want,” he insisted, his mouth an inch away from her ear. 

Though she felt herself blush furiously, Hermione brought her hand to touch his face. Every thought vanished from her mind, all she knew was that Sirius’s lips were crashing into hers, and she didn’t ever want it to stop.


End file.
